Research and development
The assessment of safety, quality and health impacts of Kesko’s private label and own import products is part of the operations of the Quality and Product Development Unit of Kesko's Grocery Trade Division. The Quality and Product Development unit annually trains Kesko's grocery trade procurement units and other internal stakeholders on product safety and compliance issues that must be considered when selecting products for Kesko's assortment.
The manufacturers of Kesko’s own brand products are required to have a certified food safety management system. Food safety management systems approved by Kesko include, among others, BRCGS, IFS, FSSC 22000 and GlobalG.A.P.
Kesko’s own product safety and quality management processes are regularly evaluated through audits conducted by certification bodies related to Kesko Logistics’ FSSC 22000 certification and Kespro’s ISO 9001 certification, as well as through assessments related to Kesko Laboratory’s ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation conducted by the accreditation body, FINAS Accreditation Service. In addition, these processes are evaluated through Kesko’s own internal audits.
Quality and Product Development Unit’s Quality Team is responsible of the management of Kesko’s private label and own import products’ safety and quality. During the product’s life cycle, the risks involved with the product are assessed according Kesko’s HACCP based self-control plan in co-operation with the supplier. The supplier of private label products provides Kesko with detailed product information on Kesko's specification form, which serves as part of the product's compliance and quality assessment. Samples of all new and updated private label products are taken for inspection before the product is released for sale to consumers or B2B customers. The safety and quality of products on the market are monitored annually according to a sampling plan based on a product group-specific risk assessment.
The Vulnerability Assessment Critical Control Points (VACCP) method is used to annually identify and control the risks that could lead to food fraud and cause serious food safety incidents, costly product recalls, business closure, and legal action. In addition, Kesko’s Internal Audit Unit reviews the product related risks and actions quarterly with each of Kesko’s business divisions.
In the product development and selection phase, the Quality Team compiles quality requirements for the candidate products, which include the legal and technical aspects. Samples of candidate products undergo sensory and laboratory analysis to verify if they meet the quality requirements and can be selected as Kesko’s private label product. The labelling for the product selected to Kesko’s private label assortment is compiled according to the legal requirements and according to recommendations by the authorities.
If any errors or defects are found in the products within Kesko’s assortment, the Quality Team coordinates and notifies a product recall so that the products are withdrawn from the K-food stores and Kespro’s cash-and-carry outlets as quickly as possible. Kesko has prepared a written recall guideline for suppliers to ensure that recalls are handled efficiently.
Public product recalls in 2021-24
The Quality and Product Development Unit’s Laboratory Team analyses the microbiological, chemical and physical properties of products. The laboratory is an accredited testing laboratory (T251) accredited by the Finnish Accreditation Service (FINAS), and its operations comply with the requirements of the SFS‑EN ISO/IEC 17025 standard. The scope of accreditation covers a significant proportion of the microbiological analytical methods used by the laboratory, in accordance with the accredited scope. The laboratory’s valid scope of accreditation is published on the Finnish Accreditation Service’s website (search term: Kesko). The laboratory is also an official food testing laboratory approved by the Finnish Food Authority.
The Product Development Kitchen Team evaluates the product’s sensory properties and develops own brand products together with Kesko’s purchasing teams and the supplier.
The Customer Service Team answers to customers' questions and feedback concerning Kesko’s own brand products with professional support and product group specific expertise of the Quality and Product Development Unit’s other teams.
